


Moonstruck

by manycoloureddays



Series: Stargazing [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-11
Updated: 2016-09-11
Packaged: 2018-08-14 10:07:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8009458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/manycoloureddays/pseuds/manycoloureddays
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>moonstruck<br/>adj. "unable to think or act normally, especially as a result of being in love"</p>
<p>"Lavender walks past rats and mice with her eyes averted. Stops to look at a kneazle. Briefly considers a rather fat rabbit. And then ignores every animal in the room in favour of the two most adorable kittens she has ever seen.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Moonstruck

**Author's Note:**

> i am loving writing in this tiny little 'verse! a very big thank you to Erin, for giving it a quick once over, and Grace, for exclaiming loudly about these wonderful girls with me

****

It’s ten years since Binky was taken from her, and Lavender is finally ready to get a new pet. It didn’t take the full decade to get to this point, if she’s being perfectly honest. But there was a war. And then there was getting used to full moons, and worrying about small animals in her vicinity during said full moons, and starting up the support group with Harry, and she’s been busy. But now, she’s ready.

“Shall we?” Parvati asks, taking her hand and squeezing. They’ve been standing outside The Magical Menagerie for a minute or two. But she _is_ ready. She takes a deep breath. Smiles.

“We shall.”

 

Lavender braces herself for the cacophony of animal sounds when the door swings open and still needs to take a step backwards. The smell is almost as overpowering. Parvati laughs at whatever expression she hasn’t been able to keep off her face. She thinks it might fall between disgust and concern.

“Looking for anything in particular today?” the witch behind the counter asks. The only clean thing in the room, she looks completely out of place. She’s young, and looking slightly nervous too. Lavender can relate. But she’s not replacing a beloved pet, and worrying about being the only person responsible for another living thing, so Lavender’s willing to be she’s new on the job. She also looks vaguely familiar. A quick glance at Parvati confirms that they know her, and it only takes Lavender a moment longer to place the face.

“Demelza Robins.” The girl blinks. “Sorry,” Lavender bites her lip. “You were at school with us.”

“I know,” she smiles shyly. “I just didn’t think you’d recognise me.”

“Who, Lavender?” Parvati chuckles. “Mind like a steel trap, especially for names and faces. I didn’t know anyone other than Dottie worked here.”

“Not usually, no,” Demelza relaxes, leaning against the counter. “Dottie’s my aunt. She had an accident last week. Took at fall down some stairs after tripping over her krup, so I’m looking after the shop for a few weeks. I’m in between jobs at the moment.”

“Oh, what kind of work are you looking for?”

Lavender leaves Parvati to what has become a constant search for the right personal assistant. She insists that it takes a very special individual to liaise between Seer Private Investigator and her clients. Lavender agrees. But she’s witnessed her girlfriend springing job interviews on unsuspecting strangers enough in the last few months, so she wanders around, looking at the animals.

She walks past rats and mice with her eyes averted. Stops to look at a kneazle. Briefly considers a rather fat rabbit. And then ignores every animal in the room in favour of the two most adorable kittens she has ever seen.

They’re fluffy black balls of fur, tumbling over one another and making tiny delighted sounds. When Lavender moves closer they still, looking up at her with bright green eyes.

“Parvati!” She calls, not taking her eyes off the kittens.

“Yes, love?”

“Come have a look at these darlings.”

Parvati walks over, sliding her arms around Lavender’s waist, and leaning her chin on Lavender’s shoulder. They fit together like puzzle pieces. They have since they were eleven. Their unity is confirmed once again when Parvati melts at the sight of the kittens, cooing softly.

“Oh they _are_ darling. We have to take them!”

“Both of them? I thought you were going to be the sensible one today?”

There’s a giggle from somewhere behind them.

“ _Fine_ ,” Parvati sighs. “I suppose we really can only afford one at the moment. But they love each other so much! They’re twins. Can we really separate twins?” She looks at Lavender with the most ridiculously heart melting face in her arsenal, and then pouts for good measure. Lavender doesn’t even try to hold back her smile.

“They are from the same litter,” Demelza adds, entirely unhelpfully. And when Lavender was nice to her and everything. And that’s what sparks it really. Not the fact that the cats are siblings, and she has a rather large soft spot for the Patil twins. Not the overwhelming cuteness of the kittens in question. And not the clutchy thing her heart is doing when she looks at Parvati and the cats together. Lavender is all about being nice when it’s hard to be. When the world stacked the odds against her and expected her to turn bitter she refused.

“Why don’t we give one to Padma?”

“Hmmm?” Parvati is cuddling both kittens to her chest, and not paying all that much attention to Lavender.

“Take both of them, keep one, give one to Padma and –“

“Really?” And, Lavender supposes, that’s one way to get her girlfriend’s attention.

“No, I just suggested it to piss you off.” Parvati rolls her eyes. “Yes, really. They’re moving in together, and we both know Padma doesn’t do things like this if she hasn’t thought through all the possibilities and decided the positives outweigh the chances of negatives.” Parvati rolls her eyes and huffs this time.

“Padma doesn’t do things like this period. I just.” She sighs, and goes back to patting the kitten. “I just don’t know if I trust her not to break my sister’s heart. Or to be pulling a long con. Or, or something. I mean, she wanted to give Harry to Voldemort, and now she and my sister are playing happy couples?”

Lavender giggles. She can’t help it. Parvati scowls, but it fades into a slight smile, so Lavender knows she’s forgiven instantly.

“Babe, you know I love you –“

“I love you too.”

“Thanks, but not the point. I love you, but you have to trust Padma. And you have to trust that Pansy isn’t the same person she was at seventeen. When she was scared, and brainwashed, and in the middle of a war. If I can grow up, so can she.” Lavender finds herself with an armful of kittens and girlfriend. Parvati nuzzling at her shoulder. She may or may not have vocalised her insecurities more often before they got together because they elicited this reaction. No one can prove it. “Yes, yes, you love me very much, and wouldn’t change me ever. I’m very grateful for that. If Padma’s found this with Pansy, are you really going to try and stop her?”

“No,” Parvati sulks. Then she looks down at the kittens in her arms, expression serious. “We’re going to take you both home, and one of you is going to live with the most amazing person in the whole entire universe, and someone I’m sure you’ll warm up to quicker than I did. How does that sound?”

The kittens purr softly.

“Alright then, Demelza. Two kittens please.”

 

Demelza sorts everything out for them, including some food to tide them over and a box she spells so it’s extra comfy for two fluff balls of joy, and sends them on their way.

“Don’t forget to let me know when Dottie comes back. I definitely have work for you if you want it.”

And then suddenly they’re standing in Diagon Alley again.

“So, do we go straight to their apartment, or?”

“Let’s go to that café you like first. The one with the excellent hot chocolate. I’ll send Padma a note, and see if it’s not completely inconvenient to drop in later.”

Lavender grins, and tugs on Parvati’s hand.

“Hot chocolate with loads of whipped cream sounds perfect.”

“Heathen!”

 

Once again they find themselves standing in front of a door staring. This time, Lavender takes Parvati’s hand and laces their fingers together. She brings Parvati’s hand to her lips, and kisses each of her knuckles. The wrinkle on her forehead disappears as she smiles. She’s still facing the door, and Lavender can only see the corner of it, but she knows it’s her favourite smile. The one that makes her eyes sparkle, and Lavender’s heart stutter.

“Shall we?”

“We shall.”

Padma pulls the door open almost as soon as they knock. She’s wearing an enormous green and silver jumper that makes Parvati grimace, and a mega watt smile. The Nick Cave album that Harry leant Lavender, and Lavender leant Parvati, and Parvati leant Padma, is playing in the background.

“It’s so good to see you!” Padma exclaims, pulling Parvati, then Lavender, and then both of them, into bone crushing hugs.

“Drinking already?”

“No,” Padma shoves Parvati. “I’m just having a really good day.”

And she genuinely looks like she is. She’s glowing with it.

“What’s in the box?”

“Uh uh, presents inside the new apartment, with all recipients, well, present,” Lavender shoos the sisters inside.

“You got us a housewarming gift? Both of us?” If Lavender hadn’t already been 100% certain that getting Padma _and_ Pansy a cat was a good idea, the look of complete, happy surprise on Padma’s face would do it.

“Yep,” Parvati smiles at Lavender over her sister’s head. “But Lavender’s right. You only get it if you behave.”

 

They end up in what will eventually be the living room. Padma assures them they have furniture, and artwork, and books, and carpets, and things that aren’t boxes. Lavender still makes a mental note to bring over some comfy, tasteful floor cushions and throw rugs.

“How’s work?” Padma calls out from the kitchen.

“Not bad,” Parvati yells back. Lavender shakes her head. She may have grown up in the endlessly echoing halls of Hogwarts, but her home life was fairly quiet. She doesn’t understand why people don’t just move into the same space when they’re having a conversation. But invariably, the sisters won’t say a word to each other for twenty minutes while they sit next to each other on the couch, and then suddenly remember an urgent conversation when one of them heads to the bathroom. Ridiculous. “We bumped into a girl who was a few years below us at Hogwarts today actually. Demelza Robins?”

“Doesn’t ring a bell!”

“Well, she’s looking for some work, and seeing as I’ve decided to start this detective thing full time I asked her to help out!”

“Oh that’s good! Do you have any cases at the moment?”

“There’s one you’ll be interested in. A family curse. Well, I think it’s a portrait that’s actually cursed, but we’ll see. I’ll let you know what happens!”

“Please do! What about you Lavender?” She asks at normal volume, sticking her head through the doorway.

“I have a meeting at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures on Wednesday. Harry and I have finished our proposal to reclassify werewolves, and set up more support services.”

“That’s excellent.”

Pansy walks in the front door just as Padma levitates four mugs of tea out of the kitchen.

“Are you sure you don’t have the Sight, Padma?” Lavender asks for the umpteenth time. Padma rolls her eyes.

“No. And I’m endlessly glad that gift is one I don’t share with Parvati.”

“I think it’d be fun,” Pansy says. She kisses Padma on the cheek, and plucks two of the mugs out of the air. She hands one to Lavender, smiling hesitantly. It is so strange to watch a nervous Pansy; Lavender almost wishes she could record it. But that would be decidedly _not_ nice. “But this way I can always surprise you, so I figure that’s a bonus.”

Pansy Parkinson can be sweet. Who knew?

“They bought us a housewarming present.”

“Wow, I thought I was meant to be the impatient one?” Parvati laughs. Padma just sticks her tongue out in response. “Well, it was Lavender’s idea, so I’ll let her do the honours.”

Lavender pulls the box towards her, and waves her wand over it. The kittens, safe in their box in Lavender and Parvati’s flat until now, appear in front of her, curled around each other while they nap. They blink and stretch, woken by the sudden cooing.

“Oh no! They are the most adorable kittens I have ever seen,” Padma sighs, grinning into her hand.

Pansy’s face lights up, and she reaches into the box to stroke one.

“Go on, pick it up,” Lavender prompts. “She’s yours. They’re sisters, so we thought, this way they won’t be separated forever.”

Pansy carefully scoops the kitten up, and cradles it against her chest. Padma shuffles over and curls around them, smile warm and fond. Lavender catches Parvati’s eye and grins.

“What are we going to call her?” Padma whispers.

“What did you call yours?” Pansy asks them.

“Cassandra,” Parvati smiles. She’s conjured up some feathers, which she’s using to tickle said kitten.

“Of course you did,” Padma rolls her eyes. “Well, do we want to keep it in the family? Something from Greek myth?”

“Artemis,” Pansy says, not decisively, but like she’s testing the name out loud. Their kitten looks up from where she’s nestled in between them.

“Artemis,” Padma agrees.


End file.
